Afghan leader condemns U.S. anti-terror tactics

In a sign of a split amongst the coalition of the willing, Hamid Karzai has condemned the US's methods of fighting the war on terror saying the current approach of hunting down militants does not focus on the root causes such as money, training, and motivation.

“I strongly believe ... that we must engage strategically in disarming terrorism by stopping their sources of supply of money, training, equipment and motivation,” Karzai said at a news conference.

“It is not acceptable for us that in all this fighting, Afghans are dying. In the last three to four weeks, 500 to 600 Afghans were killed. (Even) if they are Taliban, they are sons of this land,” he added.

The actions in Afghanistan have involved Afghan forces, so Karzai's words must call into question who is actually in charge of the Afghan army?

The President of Afghanistan does not seem to agree with what they are doing in his country's name.

Nor do his complaints stop there. I well remember Tony Blair promising that the international community would not walk away from Afghanistan, but since our illegal foray into Iraq that appears to be exactly what we have done.

Although there has been international funding in some areas of reconstruction, Karzai said he did not get help in strengthening the national police, the army and the government administration to prevent a resurgence of extremists.

“There has been help and assistance from the international community in some areas, but unfortunately, in some areas, there is no assistance or cooperation,” he said. “This is one of the reasons for the unhappiness between us and the international community. We did not get the assistance and cooperation that is necessary for a strategy for counterterrorism.”

And so Bush's bungled War on a Noun stumbles on, with another of it's supposed beneficiaries complaining bitterly about it's lack of direction.

Not that the current incumbants of the White House will listen to the opinions of their man on the ground. He has gone distinctly "off message" so, like any intelligence pre the Iraq war that didn't tell them what they wanted to hear, they will simply tune out.

Expect Condi to make a speech soon telling us why Karzai is wrong.

You see things better from 5,000 miles away from Kabul. Distance provides perspective.

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Tags: Karzai, Afghanistan, war on terror, Bush, Kabul, Taliban, al Qaeda,